Do you remember Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure? The 1989 cult classic was a completely nerdy, cheesy, fun movie. It was a part of my childhood — and not-at-all a part of my wife's. Depending on which of those camps you fall into, here's a quick synopsis relevant to this article:
Bill S. Preston Esq. and Ted 'Theodore' Logan were a couple of high school buddies who loved to jam in their garage. They had aspirations of hitting it big and getting Eddie van Halen in their band, but first needed a triumphant video. Sadly, they had no idea how to actually play music and just jumped around their garage and had fun.
One night at the Circle K, Rufus (George Carlin) drops out of the sky in a phone booth time machine. He took them on a most excellent adventure across time so they could pass their history report.
After their adventure concludes and they pass their report in a most outstanding fashion, the boys return to their garage band exactly where they started.
They suddenly have a rare introspective moment, realizing that they should take a bigger-picture lesson from what they've just experienced in order to actually achieve their dreams and goals.
"Maybe we should make that triumphant video."
"Maybe we should get better instruments."
Then, Ted lands on the real issue: "Maybe we should start learning how to play."
In the end, Rufus explains that their music becomes the foundation of all society in the future. It ends war and poverty, aligns the planets, allows meaningful contact with all forms of life, AND ... "it's excellent for dancing."
A Most Excellent Brand Lesson
"You can't seriously tell me I can learn a valuable business lesson from this stupid movie."
Yes way!
As a business owner, you have big aspirations. Maybe you're not looking to align the planets, but there's a reason behind what you do – helping people, solving problems, and earning a living while you're at it. Explicitly stated or deeply felt – you have goals.
Whether your business is brand new and excited to "get out there" or has existed for a long time and is experiencing a lag, most business owners jump straight to "marketing."
Marketing is the amplifier. It's necessary and useful. It comes in so many varieties – online, print, in-person – and you hope to find the biggest and most efficient amp to magnify your message and crank it to ten.
After all, that's how everyone will hear you. How else will the world change unless they know you exist, right?
But sometimes, even the best amp doesn't work. Customers aren't streaming through the door. Leads aren't pouring in to your website. Things aren't clicking.
Some business owners begin to self-diagnose:
"Maybe we should try a different marketing channel."
"Maybe we need a new website."
But then, you land on the real problem:
"Maybe we should start looking at our brand."
Is the problem that they can't hear you?
Or that they don't like what they hear?
Remember: what's being blasted from the front end of the marketing amplifier is exactly what's been plugged into it on the backside.
There is no amp that will fix a bad band.
And there's no marketing that will fix a bad brand.
The song you're playing – and the way you're playing it – might not sound as triumphant as you think it does to your customers.
Whether you're flailing around with complete guesswork, or you've practiced a lot but your instruments are just out of tune – something's not coming across right.
Learning How to Play
Ted was on the right track. Address the source, not the symptoms.
"Learning how to play" is like "fixing a brand."
But that doesn't happen in isolation. Bill, Ted, and the Princesses probably went to get lessons and improve the quality of what they were plugging in to their amp.
Until they did that, they just stayed stuck in the same old garage playing the same old games – and getting the same old results.
Making a decision to partner with a brand strategist could mark a turning point in your business. It's not an overnight fix (nothing in business ever is). But taking this smart, decisive step shows wisdom and maturity as your organization moves through critical stages of development.
Aligning the planets might not depend on aligning your brand.
But the future of your business – and the success of your customers – certainly might.
Until then,
Be excellent to each other. And ... party on, dudes.
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